C018. Brer Rabbit Races Brer Terrapin

18. Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material and standardized the spelling; click here for the original spelling plus all notes to the story.

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One day when Brer Rabbit was going lippity-clippiting down the road, he meet up with old Brer Terrapin, and after they pass the time of day with one another, Brer Rabbit, he allow that he was much obliged to Brer Terrapin for the hand he took in the rumpus that day down at Miss Meadows's.

Then Brer Terrapin allow that Brer Fox run mighty fast that day, but that if he'd've been after him instead of Brer Rabbit, he'd've caught him.

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Brer Rabbit say he could've caught him hisself but he didn't care about leaving the ladies. They keep on talking, they did, till by and by they got to disputing about which was the swiftest.

Brer Rabbit, he say he can outrun Brer Terrapin, and Brer Terrapin, he just vow that he can outrun Brer Rabbit. Up and down they had it, till first news you know Brer Terrapin say he got a fifty-dollar bill in the chink of the chimney at home, and that bill done told him that he could beat Brer Rabbit in a fair race. Then Brer Rabbit say he got a fifty-dollar bill what say that he can leave Brer Terrapin so far behind, that he could sow barley as he went long and hit'd be ripe enough for to cut by the time Brer Terrapin pass that way.

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Anyhow they make the bet and put up the money, and old Brer Turkey Buzzard, he was summonsed for to be the judge, and the stakeholder; and it weren't long before all the arrangements was made. The race was a five-mile heat, and the ground was measured off, and at the end of every mile a post was stuck up. Brer Rabbit was to run down the big road, and Brer Terrapin, he say he'd gallup through the woods. Folks told him he could get long faster in the road, but old Brer Terrapin, he know what he doing.

Miss Meadows and the gals and most all the neighbors got wind of the fun, and when the day was set they determined for to be on hand. Brer Rabbit he train hisself every day, and he skip over the ground just as gayly as a June cricket.

Old Brer Terrapin, he lay low in the swamp. He had a wife and three chilluns, old Brer Terrapin did, and they was all the very spit and image of the old man. Anybody what know one from the other got to take a spy-glass, and then they of liable for to get fooled.

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That's the way matters stand till the day of the race, and on that day, old Brer Terrapin, and his old woman, and his three chilluns, they got up before sun-up, and went to the place. The old woman, she took her stand nigh the first mile-post, she did, and the chilluns nigh the others, up to the last, and there old Brer Terrapin, he took his stand.

By and by, here come the folks: Judge Buzzard, he come, and Miss Meadows and the gals, they come, and then here come Brer Rabbit with ribbons tied 'round his neck and streaming from his ears.

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The folks all went to the other end of the track for to see how they come out. When the time come Judge Buzzard strut 'round and pull out his watch, and holler out, "Gents, is you ready?"

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Brer Rabbit, he say "yes," and old Miss Terrapin holler "go" from the edge of the woods. Brer Rabbit, he lit out on the race, and old Miss Terrapin, she put out for home. Judge Buzzard, he riz and skimmed long for to see that the race was runned fair.

When Brer Rabbit got to the first mile-post one of the Terrapin chilluns crawl out the woods, he did, and make for the place. Brer Rabbit, he holler out, "Where is you, Brer Terrapin?"

"Here I come a-bulgin'," says the Terrapin, says he.

Brer Rabbit so glad he's ahead that he put out harder than ever, and the Terrapin, he make for home. When he come to the next post, another Terrapin crawl out of the woods.

"Where is you, Brer Terrapin?" says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"Here I come a-boilin'," says the Terrapin, says he.

Brer Rabbit, he lit out, he did, and come to next post, and there was the Terrapin. Then he come to next, and there was the Terrapin.

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Then he had one more mile for to run, and he feel like he getting bellowsed. By and by, old Brer Terrapin look way off down the road and he see Judge Buzzard sailing long and he know it's time for him for to be up.

So he scramble out of the woods, and roll across the ditch, and shuffle through the crowd of folks and get to the mile-post and crawl behind it. By and by, first news you know, here come Brer Rabbit.

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He look 'round and he don't see Brer Terrapin, and then he squall out, "Give me the money, Brer Buzzard, give me the money!"

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Then Miss Meadows and the gals, they holler and laugh fit to kill theyself, and old Brer Terrapin, he raise up from behind the post and says, says he, "If you'll give time for to catch my breath, gents and ladies, one and all, I 'spect I'll finger that money myself," says he, and sure enough, Brer Terrapin tie the purse 'round his neck and skaddle off home.

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C018. Baer (p. 44). Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last

This is Chase018.

Types ATU1074 Race won by deception
Motifs K0011.1 race won by deception: relative helpers
Notes
Harris, Ellis, and Crane all mention African parallels, as do Smith and Dale.

Baer: "If more evidence is needed of the African origin of this Afro-American tale, Mofokeng has accumulated it in her discussion of the relation of the race motif to the tug-of-war motif and of tortoise's position as hero in African tales. She points to one clearly recognizable group of stories in which tortoise play sthe leading role; competition stories -- running, beer-drinking, diving, pulling tug-of-war. She further notes the close parallel between the Amazonian and the Uncle Remus versions of the race."

Native American: "Swanton includes five variants which are undeboutedly borrowings from the Negroes. Barnouw adds a Chippewa version and speaks of the widespread popularity of the tale among North American Indians from the Southwest to Alaska."

Baer adds: "In 1901 a Seattle attorney wrote to Harris that one more terrapin was needed in the race since in a five-mile race there would be six posts."

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MY NOTES

Better ATU number is ATU0275C, which is the Grimm hedgehog. Very widespread. (Klipple reserves 275 for the hanging-onto-tail trick in race.)

C018. Brer Rabbit Races Brer Terrapin (original spelling)

18. Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material; click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

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One day w'en Brer Rabbit wuz gwine lippity-clippitin' down de road, he meet up wid ole Brer Tarrypin, en atter dey pass de time er day wid wunner nudder, Brer Rabbit, he 'low dat he wuz much 'blije ter Brer Tarrypin fer de han' he tuck in de rumpus dat day down at Miss Meadows's.

Den Brer Tarrypin 'low dat Brer Fox run mighty fas' dat day, but dat ef he'd er bin atter 'im stidder Brer Rabbit, he'd er kotch 'im.

Brer Rabbit say he could er kotch 'im hisse'f but he didn't keer 'bout leavin' de ladies. Dey keep on talkin', dey did, twel bimeby dey gotter 'sputin' 'bout w'ich wuz de swif'es'.

Brer Rabbit, he say he kin outrun Brer Tarrypin, en Brer Tarrypin, he des vow dat he kin outrun Brer Rabbit. Up en down dey had it, twel fus news you know Brer Tarrypin say he got a fifty-dollar bill in de chink er de chimbly at home, en dat bill done tole 'im dat he could beat Brer Rabbit in a fa'r race. Den Brer Rabbit say he got a fifty-dollar bill w'at say dat he kin leave Brer Tarrypin so fur behime, dat he could sow barley ez he went long en hit 'ud be ripe nuff fer ter cut by de time Brer Tarrypin pass dat way.

Enny how dey make de bet en put up de money, en old Brer Tukkey Buzzard, he wuz summonzd fer ter be de jedge, en de stakeholder; en 'twan't long 'fo' all de 'rangements wuz made. De race wuz a five-mile heat, en de groun' wuz medjud off, en at de een' er eve'y mile a pos' wuz stuck up. Brer Rabbit wuz ter run down de big road, en Brer Tarrypin, he say he'd gallup thoo de woods. Fokes tole 'im he could git long faster in de road, but ole Brer Tarrypin, he know w'at he doin'.

Miss Meadows en de gals en mos' all de nabers got win' er de fun, en wen de day wuz sot dey 'termin' fer ter be on han'. Brer Rabbit he train hisse'f eve'y day, en he skip over de groun' des ez gayly ez a June cricket.

Ole Brer Tarrypin, he lay low in de swamp. He had a wife en th'ee chilluns, old Brer Tarrypin did, en dey wuz all de ve'y spit en image er de ole man. Ennybody w'at know one fum de udder gotter take a spy-glass, en den dey er li'ble fer ter git fooled.

Dat's de way marters stan' twel de day er de race, en on dat day, ole Brer Tarrypin, en his ole 'oman, en his th'ee chilluns, dey got up 'fo' sun-up, en went ter de place. De ole 'oman, she tuck 'er stan' nigh de fus' mile-pos', she did, en de chilluns nigh de udders, up ter de las', en dar old Brer Tarrypin, he tuck his stan'.

Bimeby, here come de fokes: Jedge Buzzard, he come, en Miss Meadows en de gals, dey come, en den yer come Brer Rabbit wid ribbons tied 'roun' his neck en streamin' fum his years.

De fokes all went ter de udder een' er de track fer ter see how dey come out. W'en de time come Jedge Buzzard strut 'roun' en pull out his watch, en holler out, "Gents, is you ready?"

Brer Rabbit, he say "yes," en old Miss Tarrypin holler 'go' fum de aidge er de woods. Brer Rabbit, he lit out on de race, en old Miss Tarrypin, she put out for home. Jedge Buzzard, he riz en skimmed long fer ter see dat de race wuz runned fa'r.

W'en Brer Rabbit got ter de fus' mile-pos' wunner de Tarrypin chilluns crawl out de woods, he did, en make fer de place. Brer Rabbit, he holler out, "Whar is you, Brer Tarrypin?"

"Yer I come a bulgin'," sez de Tarrypin, sezee.

Brer Rabbit so glad he's ahead dat he put out harder dan ever, en de Tarrypin, he make fer home. W'en he come ter de nex' pos', nudder Tarrypin crawl out er de woods.

"Whar is you, Brer Tarrypin?" sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"Yer I come a bilin'," sez de Tarrypin, sezee.

Brer Rabbit, he lit out, he did, en come ter nex' pos', en dar wuz de Tarrypin. Den he come ter nex', en dar wuz de Tarrypin.

Den he had one mo' mile fer ter run, en he feel like he gittin' bellust. Bimeby, ole Brer Tarrypin look way off down de road en he see Jedge Buzzard sailin' long en he know hit's time fer 'im fer ter be up.

So he scramble outen de woods, en roll 'cross de ditch, en shuffle thoo de crowd er folks en git ter de mile-pos' en crawl behime it. Bimeby, fus' news you know, yer come Brer Rabbit. He look 'roun' en he don't see Brer Tarrypin, en den he squall out, "Gimme de money, Brer Buzzard, Gimme de money!"

Den Miss Meadows en de gals, dey holler and laff fit ter kill deyse'f, en ole Brer Tarrypin, he raise up fum behime de pos' en sez, sezee, "Ef you'll gimme time fer ter ketch my breff, gents en ladies, one en all, I speck I'll finger dat money myse'f,' sezee, en sho nuff, Brer Tarrypin tie de pu's 'roun' his neck en skaddle off home.